The Philippine Rice Institute–Agusan (PhilRice-Agusan) will kick off its Binhi e-Padala program for more than 1,200 farmers here on Nov. 15.
Jasmine Reyes, coordinator of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund of PhilRice-Agusan, told the Philippine News Agency on Sunday that 3,712 bags of certified inbred rice seeds are ready for delivery to the city government through the City Agriculture Office.
“The Binhi e-Padala program is a digital platform designed to inform qualified rice farmers through text messages of the certified seeds they will receive. The program is already piloted in other regions and proven effective,” Reyes said.
The program will be implemented in Caraga Region for the first time.
It will be held from November 15 to 19 at the Butuan Seeds Producers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BUSECO) in Purok 2, Barangay Sto. Niño.
“We are targeting around 260 qualified rice farmers per day. Upon receiving their claim code through text messages, they can immediately proceed to BUSECO to claim their certified rice seeds,” Reyes said.
The rice farmers qualified to avail of the free certified rice seeds are those registered with the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture.
The Binhi e-Padala is also a measure to prevent the crowding of beneficiaries amidst the continuing threat of the coronavirus disease 2019.
Certified inbred rice seeds to be distributed include the Rc160, 216, 402, 442, and 480, which are proven to produce high yields.
Source: Philippines News Agency
